In the late 1940s, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 Superfortress crashed into Lake Mead during a classified postwar operation known as “Sun Tracker.” The mission was part of early Cold War research efforts, and the aircraft was lost beneath the lake’s waters for decades. Despite multiple searches over the years, the bomber’s exact location remained unknown.
Advances in underwater surveying and diving technology eventually led to the discovery of the remarkably preserved wreck. Today, the sunken B-29 rests on the lakebed as a rare time capsule of aviation and military history, offering insight into both World War II–era aircraft and early postwar experimentation.
This video explores the story behind the crash, the mission it was supporting, and how the long-lost bomber was finally found beneath Lake Mead.
